


A Merry Little Christmas

by caesar



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Fluff, I know it's almost Halloween but I heard Christmas music and thought of this, Levi gets a cat, M/M, Pining!Levi, barista!Eren, musician!Levi, these dorks are too cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-15
Updated: 2015-10-20
Packaged: 2018-04-26 12:46:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5005309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caesar/pseuds/caesar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi is used to spending Christmas alone, but this holiday season he adopts a cat that steals his heart and meets a bright-eyed barista that catches his attention.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. santa's white christmas

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a sucker for fluffy Christmas and coffee shops and pet-loving Levi AUs so I decided to make them all into one. In other news, I am actual trash.
> 
> inspired by the song A Merry Little Christmas by Cat Power

Levi wasn't incredibly fond of the holiday season. He wasn't a Grinch so much as he was simply just tired of the season. He has spent a number of years celebrating by himself and then maybe spending the evening with his friends, even though it was an attempt on their part to make sure he didn't spend the entire day alone, considering the holiday and the occasion of his birthday. They meant well, but Levi was still mildly disheartened when he returned home, alone.

The music was the one thing he took comfort in, though. He would go to lounges or open mic nights and play holiday songs on a piano. If Levi could bring someone else cheer, then he felt a little better about it all.

This season was different, though. He moved to across the city due to a lease being up and a new complex offering something better. It also helped that it was mere minutes from his job. Though the walk was usually brief, it gave him that short period of time to clear his mind; fresh air treated him well.

-

That night was no different than usual. He was walking home from work at a later hour than the norm, the sun setting and casting brilliant colors over the top of the city. His hands were shoved into his coat pockets as he walked, his mind idle when something caught his attention: a sign in the window of a coffee shop and it read _Free Kittens!_. Curiosity seized a hold of him as well as the nip of the brisk air, and so he ended up going inside with the intention of leaving with coffee.

"Hi there, welcome!"

A bright voice greeted him once the door shut, and he was met with even brighter eyes from the person at the counter. A moment went by and Levi thought time stood still in that cafe; he managed to recollect himself before the boy turned away and said, "Hi."

The boy with eyes like the ocean smiled wider, and he asked if Levi wanted anything. It took Levi a moment to remember that he walked into a coffee shop, and that he came in with a purpose: warming up his hands with a cup of joe. He scanned the menu and furrowed his brows. "What the fuck is Santa's White Christmas?" There were numerous holiday themed lattes, but that one seemed to strike him as equally ridiculous and interesting.

"It's wonderful. It's a latte with white chocolate and hazelnut flavoring, and some extra Christmas spirit," the bright eyed barista answered. Levi nodded, handing him a five dollar bill.

"I'll take one."

He got a smile that lit up the room, and it was well worth the three dollars and change. Levi wanted to talk to the boy more but wasn't sure where to start.

"What was your name?"

Levi was beaten to the punch. "Levi. And you?"

"I'm Eren." He gave another smile that crinkled the corners of those wondrous eyes, and Levi felt his heart stutter. "So, Levi, have you gotten a look at the kittens left? There's still a few here. My friend Christa is trying to find homes for them."

Eren had nodded in the direction behind Levi, off to the side of the tables. A blonde girl with long, braided hair was looking over a laundry basket with a blanket tucked into it, a hand reached in. Levi wandered over and peered into the basket; three little kittens were laying down, two gray tabbies and a smaller white one. The tiny ball of white fur uncurled and stretched, peering around at it's remaining siblings before raising light blue eyes to meet Levi's. Either Father Time must have been feeling saucy or perhaps he was developing a heart condition because time seemed to slow to a stop again, and Levi felt his chest warm at the sight of the kitten, his heart fluttering as it mewed at him.

And somehow he ended up going home with that little furry bundle in the pocket of his coat, a hand covering that pocket and a paper cup of espresso and sweetener in the other hand.

A stop at the pet store later, he finally found himself in his apartment, setting the tiny white kitten on the floor. She mewed at the loss of contact, sniffing around curiously before looking up at Levi. He stared back at her, unsure where to put the assortment of cat things for the time being other than the kitchen counter.

"You probably need a name," he said aloud, and she responded with a loud, chirping mew. "Maybe tonight. Let me learn your personality, little one."

Almost settled in, Levi was nowhere near tired. So he sat at his keyboard, fingers naturally finding keys. Small, light notes filled the air and he found himself singing Christmas music.

Nothing requiring vocal power or exceptional skill, but just a tune to relax himself and unwind. He felt a small, warm weight on his right food as he played: looking down, he saw that the kitten curled up on his toes and he could see her body easing into a slumber. His heart fluttered, warmth spreading in his chest.

Precious.

Upon going to bed, he couldn't deny the mewing bundle wanting to cuddle with him in bed; she found a spot up against his arm in which she curled up into a ball, a loud purr vibrating her tiny body. Levi couldn't hide his smile; she won his heart over.

-

Levi was continuously drawn back to that coffee shop. He wouldn't quite admit it, but it wasn't exclusively for the coffee.

"So how's your baby doing?" Eren asked him with a grin during his next visit while fixing up Levi's order. Levi was sat at the counter, looking at the screensaver of his phone: his cat.

"She's adjusting," he answered, not wanting to admit how much he disliked leaving her for work in the morning after hearing her meow incessantly through the door when he leaves. He set his phone down, and Eren caught a glance of the phone's screensaver when he set down Levi's drink.

"She's your wallpaper!" Eren grinned, the light filling his eyes causing Levi to flush. "That's so sweet. I knew you'd love at least one of them. You strike me as a cat person." Levi cocked an eyebrow at the statement, unsure of how to interpret the comment. "You give off the aura of 'don't talk to me', which usually is a signal that the inner you is probably, to some degree, a softie," Eren explained nonchalantly as he steamed milk for the next order, setting Levi's mug in front of him. There was caramel drizzle circling the mountain of whipped cream.

"What makes you think I have this intense of a sweet tooth?" Levi had given Eren free reign with his drink since he had enjoyed the last recommendation, but he was mulling over whether or not he wanted to discover what was underneath the fluffy mound of sugar.

"It's actually not a really sweet drink. It's got this dark chocolate in it to balance out the toppings," Eren replied with that ever-present smile. "Plus, the grumpiest of people always have some sort of weakness. Usually sugar melts away the bitter front."

Levi hummed in response as he took a sip of the drink, trying to avoid getting whipped cream on his face. It was delicious. "I'm like a human espresso. I'm short and bitter," he remarked, cupping the mug with both hands, the warmth spreading across his fingers. He looked at Eren's hands, which were moving fluidly as he made drinks, momentarily becoming intent if he made latte art. Those hands were probably sticky with sugar, but they looked like they might be warm. Eren struck him as the absurdly warm type of person.

"Thank you," he murmured, raising the mug to his lips. Eren's smile softened as he looked at Levi, his cheeks dusted with pink. His stomach filled with a fluttery feeling, Levi turned his attention back to his phone.

-

The cat took up more time than he expected.

She would wake him up if he slept in too late, pawing at his face and meowing loudly; he didn't even need his alarm clock anymore, it seemed. The damn cat did the job enough. When he cooked, if the food was something she could have, he fed her small amounts of table scraps - usually during dinner, occasionally with breakfast. Reading or watching television included her getting comfortable and demanding attention, batting him with her paws or gently biting his hand if he stopped petting her. She curled up by him when he played music, never interrupting for attention. Any time he slept, she usually at least hung around if she didn't sleep herself.

He never really gave her a name, but he affectionately called her little one and a snowball, so when asked what her name was he panicked and picked one.

"Why Snowball?" Eren asked, setting Levi's drink on the counter in front of where he sat. His eyes glittered, even in the ambient lighting, and Levi briefly thought of white lights on a Christmas tree.

"Uh," he stammered, clearing his throat, "she's tiny and looks like a ball of snow when she sleeps. She still fits in one hand, she's so damn little." He glanced down at the drink before him, and saw that Eren made latte art in his drink, the foam forming a heart. He felt his face heat up and instantly knew he was fucked, whether he was looking at the heart in his drink that smelled like nutmeg and fucking heaven or if he was looking at Eren's beaming face.

He settled for Eren's glowing face, pearly whites showing in a smile. "That's cute," he commented, though Levi wasn't sure if Eren was talking about his cat or how red Levi's cheeks must be.

"If you ever, uh, want to see how she's doing," Levi blurted, his mouth going before his mind processed what he was saying, "you can come by and visit."

Eren's smile widened and _god damn_ it was like seeing the sun rise for the first time. "I'd love to."

A half hour and conversation about the arguments of cats vs. dogs later (unsurprisingly, Eren preferred dogs for company but admitted cats were adorable roommates), Levi left the cafe with a hot chocolate in a to-go cup with Eren's number scrawled next to scribble that read _For Grumpy Levi :)_

-

Levi stared at his phone, rereading his text again and again to make sure he wasn't being weird. Of course, he knew he was simply inviting Eren over so Eren could see the cat, but a part of him wished he could just ask Eren on a date like a normal person. Instead, he sent a text that was plain and emoji-less.

_Hey, this is Levi. If you want to come by sometime to see the little fur, you're welcome anytime._

Some time later - Levi had to remind himself Eren was at work, not ignoring his text - his phone buzzed, startling Snowball in his lap and snapping her out of sleep and Levi out of his episode of _Law & Order: SVU._

_I'm out of work at 7 tonight. I can swing by after if that's okay? :3_

Levi's heart did that awful racing thing again as he replied that's definitely okay and added his address in, Snowball eyeing him with narrowed blue eyes. "I'm sorry, you little brat, but you'll have to be nice to someone later. But I'm sure he'll give you plenty of attention," he quipped, rubbing beyond her ears. She leaned into his fingers, purring at the affection. "Yeah, yeah," he said, a small smile on his face.

Levi eyed his clock, puppy dogging around his phone for some message from Eren saying he was on the way. 7:00 hit, and then nothing. 7:30 came while Levi was cooking dinner, which was pasta with vegetables and chicken (some of which he left unseasoned to mix with Snowball's dry food as a treat for keeping him company), and then it got close to 8:00 without any signal from Eren.

He wondered if this counts as being stood up.

Heaving a sigh, Levi finished putting away dishes, glancing at the clock for the umpteenth time. 8:24pm. He looked at Snowball, who mewed and rubbed against his leg with a loud purr. "Thank you," he murmured, reaching down to pick her up. "At least I have you, you damn furball."

A series of knocks made him jump, and Snowball stopped purring, her ears perked. Not letting hope get the best of him, he assumed it might be the neighbors asking for sugar or Death coming to put him out of his lonely misery.

Instead, he opened his door to a very cold looking Eren, nose red from the cold and cheeks flushed. "Hi," he breathed, smile coming onto his lips as he took in the sight of a tired Levi holding the tiny and curious kitten. "You're super cute!" Eren leaned in close to Snowball, who was trying to sniff Eren from Levi's hand.

Levi felt a blush creep up the back of his neck, and he opened the door wider. "Come inside before you get sick, you dumbass," he chided gently, prompting Eren to step inside.

He set the noisy bundle down and she approached Eren with meows and with rubbing her flank against him as he shrugged off his coat. "I'm so sorry I'm late," he apologized, looking down at the floor, "I was behind on cleaning and Reiner came in and was being a dick and I just, I feel awful. I'm sorry." He was sliding off his shoes, eyes on Snowball, but Levi could see that the tips of his ears were bright red with embarrassment. When he raised his eyes to meet Levi's, any negative feelings dissipated at the sight of those downcast orbs.

Damn it. "It's okay," he assured Eren. "I just put leftovers from dinner in the fridge if you'd like some food and tea."

Eren brightened up a little, that smile returning. "That would be awesome."

They went into the kitchen, the cat wanting attention and hoping for more food. "You already had some, you spoiled brat," Levi chastised, stepping around her as she mewed.

"I told you that you're an obvious cat person," Eren remarked, leaning against the counter. Levi stuck the leftovers in the microwave and set water to boil as he cast a sideways glance at Eren.

"Do you think you already broke through that 'don't talk to me and fuck off' exterior I supposedly have?"

Eren grinned at the twist Levi threw in. "I don't think you really have that kind of demeanor. Or at least, not with me," Eren replied smoothly.

Levi didn't respond immediately, instead taking the food from the microwave to the table, doing the same with the two mugs of herbal tea as Eren sat down. He sat across the small table from Eren, and was nervous, but kept his voice even as he dared to ask, "What kind of demeanor do I have, with or without you?"

Eren pushed at the pasta with his fork, his eyes initially on the steam emitting from the food before meeting Levi's own stormy gaze. His green eyes looked like a deep forest green in the mediocre lighting of Levi's kitchen. "You initially seem abrasive. Not rude, just a little curt. But I think what broke your wall of secrecy was you melting when you met the cats that first day. After that, you've just been reserved and quiet. But you open up and let little glances of yourself show." Eren took a bite of the food and his smile grew. "This is fantastic, holy shit." He talked with his mouth a little full, Levi noticed although he didn't comment on it like he usually would.

Instead, he opted for a quiet, "Thank you."

Eren continued after swallowing his food. "You compare yourself to espresso as if you're bitter and cynical, but have a ridiculous sweet tooth." Levi curled his hands around his mug, his hands warming up; he glanced at Eren's hands. "You're an introvert socially, it seems like, but you sit in the cafe all the time to read or just hang out, which is being around people without having to socialize with everyone around you. It's like having company without really being somewhere with company." Another mouthfull of pasta, and this time Snowball chimed in. "Which, on the mention of you reading, you read some deep books. And your bookshelf is full of probably other great books, but I didn't get to see any titles when we walked past." Eren paused in his eating, and looked at Levi with a rather intent gaze, though his expression was warm. Eren always seemed warm to Levi. "I think you're a really nice guy. You just don't like to show that to people."

Levi swallowed the lump in his throat; his face was incredibly hot, probably also incredibly red, and he avoided looking at Eren.

He felt a gentle nudge against his foot, but the cat was on the other side of the table by Eren since he had food. His face aflame, he raised his eyes to meet Eren's.

"I won't tell anyone your secret, Levi. Don't worry." Eren had a soft glow to his face, and Levi knew his fate was sealed then.

Eren held his heart in his hands, and he was royally fucked.


	2. bah humbug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mittens, hand holding, and Christmas Day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The version of the song Levi plays is the one I mentioned inspired this, which is by Cat Power. It's pretty and lovely and gives me feels, very much like these two dorks.

They spent more and more time together. The next couple of weeks went by, and they spent most of their nights together at Levi's apartment if they weren't at the cafe. In those nights, Levi learned that Eren had an affinity for music as well as Levi's cat, so usually at least once before the night's end he would play a song for Eren on his keyboard. Levi would sing, sometimes with Eren joining him if he was coaxed enough; Eren had quite the voice. He struck Levi very much as a singer-songwriter type.

Usually they would just talk over food and tea, occasionally watching television with Snowball demanding all attention from the pair.

It was only a couple of days before Christmas when Eren was on Levi's couch, and he asked Levi for his Christmas plans, discovering that Levi's birthday fell on the same day.

"Probably nothing," he admitted. "A few friends might convince me to go a little more into the city to see them, but I don't really have plans. I'm not big on the holiday."

Eren's face fell, looking shocked. "But you can't be alone on Christmas! Especially since it's your birthday!"

Levi shrugged. "I'll have my little shithead cat for company. It's not a big deal; I'm used to it." It seemed that remark distraught Eren, for his expression saddened further. Levi didn't realize beforehand that perhaps admitting he was used to spending the holiday alone is probably a conversational downer.

"You can spend Christmas with me," Eren suggested, placing his hands over Levi's eagerly. Levi's face flushed: Eren's hands were not only warm, but surprisingly soft. Levi felt that last bit of guard he had up melt away.

"Okay," he murmured, looking at Eren as if he were breathless. Eren simply smiled, squeezing Levi's hands.

Levi felt the warmth of Eren's hands the remainder of the day, even after the bright-eyed visitor left. Snowball meowed at Levi loudly after the door shut behind Eren, and Levi narrowed his eyes at the cat. "I know," he retorted, "I can't help it. I'm not as cool and collected as I used to be. Plus, he's just too sweet." The cat purred in return, relaxing contently once Levi picked her up. He rubbed behind her ears, eliciting a mew. She was getting bigger, not by much but just enough so that her legs dangled from Levi's admittedly small hands when he held her. "Can you imagine me on Christmas? I'll be an embarrassment. But I'll have you for company if I fuck up my life."

Snowball just meowed, rubbing her head against Levi's chest as he chuckled.

-

Christmas Eve.

Levi stopped into the cafe after work after the sun already set and cold setting into the air. For the trek, he adorned a beanie and mittens in addition to his usual get up of a coat and scarf; perhaps Mother Nature partnered up with Father Time to make the cold sweep right in time for the holidays. Levi figured there was something along those lines there happening, but didn't dwell on it. He instead stepped into the shop, quickly shutting the door behind him to keep the cold from following him in.

"Levi!"

That voice made his heart flutter. "Eren, I'm barely through the door." He gets to spend some of Christmas hearing that voice. Levi raised his gaze to see Eren wiping down tables, tucking in chairs. "Did I come in during closing?"

Eren gave him a grin. "Well, yeah. But it's okay."

"I can go--"

"No," Eren paused halfway through tucking in a chair, looking up at Levi suddenly, "you can stay. I'm finishing up. But you can walk me home if you want to see my lovely face." Eren had a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Someone has to make sure you don't get lost, you brat," Levi retorted smoothly, though internally he was flailing because he stopped by the cafe essentially to do exactly what Eren implied. Maybe Eren knew and just was enjoying the attention, or maybe Eren really did enjoy Levi's company. He tried not to overthink it because the last time he did, he almost panicked and confessed his infatuation to Eren in an impromptu phone call at two in the morning just to put himself out of his misery.

Eren finished straightening the store in minutes before making a final round, shutting off the lights as he went before they stepped outside and locked the door. Levi was pulling his mittens back on as Eren laughed, the sound making Levi's neck burn. "You're probably the only person I know who can pull off mittens, Levi."

"They're warmer," was all he offered on the topic, and Eren's smile softened.

"Hey," he grabbed one of Levi's hands in his own - he was wearing regular gloves - and tugged gently. "I'm only teasing, you grumpy old man. Come on, before we freeze." He held onto Levi's hand, the light tug urging them to start walking; Eren in the opposite direction of the cafe than Levi, but he was okay with the longer trek back in the cold if it meant Eren kept holding his hand as they strolled.

"I may be a grumpy old man, but you still choose to keep me around so I can't be that cranky," Levi remarked after a moment.

Eren laughed in response. "Maybe I'm just used to you being a Scrooge. But you're not too bad."

"Bah humbug," Levi quipped, though with the corners of his lips upturned just enough that Eren might notice the smile.

Their walk was mostly in a comfortable quiet, aside from their footsteps crunching the tiny bit of snow that was just covering the sidewalk. Levi's nose was cold, but seeing how red Eren's was he assumed his was cold, too. Eren's hand was warm, though, and he felt it all the way up to his weak little heart when Eren would occasionally give Levi's fingers a light squeeze.

They reached Eren's apartment shortly, seeing as he didn't live far from the shop. They stopped in front at the steps, and Eren took a deep breath as he looked at Levi; he knew that Eren was a few inches taller, but he didn't realize that he had to tilt his head back a little to hold Eren's bright gaze. "Thank you for walking with me, Levi," Eren's voice was soft, almost timid. There was red dusted underneath those brilliant ocean eyes, and Levi realized he could feel the warmth of Eren's breath. He still held Levi's hand, their breaths intermingling in the cold air. Levi's heart was racing wildly as he craned his neck slightly, his gaze dropping from Eren's eyes to his lips, and their noses brushed against each other's for the quickest of heartbeats.

" _Eren!_ "

Startled out of the moment, Levi stumbled back a step; Eren let go of his hand and took in a sharp breath. "Reiner, what the hell are you doing here?"

Levi saw a blonde jogging toward them carrying a bouquet of red and white, and the recognition of that name and those fucking flowers made his heart plummeted from his chest to the lowest part of his stomach.

_I never had a fucking chance._

He turned sharply on his heel, shoving his hands into his pockets as he started to briskly walk away. He heard Eren call his name a moment later, but he ignored it. Levi kept walking, hurrying home.

-

Levi was welcomed by Snowball running up to him as soon as he was in the door, meowing loudly.

"I'm sorry, little one," he murmured, throwing his mittens on the couch without a second thought. "It'll be just you and I tomorrow."

Snowball paused her purring to look at him curiously, but followed him to bed anyway. He pet her for as long as he was awake, distracting himself with anything not related to Christmas that he could find on Netflix.

-

Sure enough, Christmas Day came as much as Levi didn't want it to. He had missed calls from Eren but didn't bother to listen to the voicemails, instead listening to Hanji's that was left while he showered that morning.

" _Happy birthday my lovely little Grinch! Instead of hosting our annual Christmas extravaganza at my place this year, Erwin is opening the lounge tonight for a Christmas party! Think of it like a Lonely Hearts Club. See you at seven!_ "

Levi couldn't help but smile during the message. As crazy as they were, his friends loved him. He sent Hanji a text: _Merry Christmas, Four Eyes._ He got a call almost immediately after, and they caught up on him getting a cat and life on the other corner of the city; he didn't mention Eren, though he knew Hanji caught wind something was off. They didn't ask.

-

After apologizing profusely to his cat (with whom he spent the whole day cuddling in bed with, even though he wouldn't admit it aloud to just anyone), Levi made the walk to the bar and lounge Erwin owned partway across the city: The Scout. It was a good halfway point between the group, so he was thankful for them opening it up.

It was bustling, mostly friends and family of the employees hanging out and enjoying the holiday ambience. There was even a Christmas tree decked out in the corner of the room, beside a keyboard. Before Levi could postulate a reason, he heard a familiar caterwaul.

" _Levi!_ "

He was thrown off balance by an enthusiastic hug by no one other than Hanji. "It's good to see you, you psycho," Levi said affectionately.

"Merry Christmas and happy birthday, you goon!" They squeezed Levi in the hug, beaming when they pulled away. Levi was approached by Erwin, who pulled Levi into the warmest of hugs.

"Happy birthday," Erwin spoke quietly to Levi, his face also filled with a fondness that made Levi smile.

"Thank you guys." His smile might've been tired, but genuine. Those two were his family, regardless of how nutty they might be. They sat all by the end of the bar, sipping on spiked eggnog - not quite enough to get drunk, but Levi's tense shoulders relaxed. He momentarily forgot about the prior day's events and told his friends about the cat he recently fell in love with.

"She's so _small_ ," Erwin commented when Levi let him and Hanji go through his photos on his phone. 

"It's probably fitting, seeing as she's your cat," Hanji remarked, a grin pulling on their lips as Levi glared in response to the quip. They squeaked quietly, holding Levi's phone a little closer to their body. Levi didn't pay much mind to the motion, instead sighing heavily, a gesture that Erwin did not miss.

"Hey," he lowered his voice, "what's amiss here? This is your day. You should be livelier." There was concern in Erwin's sharp blue eyes. Levi heaved another sigh, running his fingers through his hair.

"I'm tired, Erwin," Levi admitted. "I'm realizing that I'm too old to be chasing after people."

Erwin hummed. "Maybe they'll chase you. You never know." Hanji left and came back with snacks, continuing to go through and comment on photos of Levi's cat.

Levi sat in silence while his friends talked, only giving brief bouts of input in between zoning out with his gaze on his eggnog. After what felt like an eternity, Erwin finished his drink before taking Levi's, gesturing to the keyboard set up across the room. "You should give everyone here a taste of some real Christmas music. It'll help."

Levi gave Erwin a hard stare, but eventually gave in; if anything, Erwin was right. The music always helped.

He went over and got situated, and after getting the microphone set up as well, he cleared his throat awkwardly. He never knew what to say before playing a song, but he especially lost the ability to think straight when he saw the door open, those familiar and stunning green eyes meeting his own. For a long couple of seconds, they stared at one another, Eren looking uncomfortable and clearly wanting to speak to Levi, and Levi not wanting to talk to anyone and his hands hovering over the black and white keys. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he took a deep breath and opted for not saying anything at all, instead lowering his eyes and jumping right into the song.

_have yourself a merry little christmas_

The notes were simple, light, and pretty. He's played it a million times over, give or take, but it's always been a favorite. Plus, Snowball always stop her ruckus when he plays it, so he assumes it's one of her favorites as well.

_from now on our troubles will be miles away_

He glances up during a line to see Eren smiling a very watery smile, and he then wonders if Eren loves it too.

It's over almost as soon as it starts, and he plays another song at popular request (the next one was a version of Baby, It's Cold Outside featuring Hanji who actually has quite the lovely voice), and is able to bow out after that performance. He goes back to his seat, where Erwin's smile is gentle and is finishing a quiet conversation with Eren, to Levi's worry.

"Great job, you two," Erwin applauded as they approached.

Eren's gaze is focused on Levi, a shy smile on his face. "Hi," he breathed, his ears red. Levi wonders if he's as nervous as Levi is. "You guys were wonderful." He licks his lips, anxiety taking over his features. "Can we talk?"

Levi nods silently, and they go off to the far side of the lounge where no one is sitting so that they have the section to themselves. After they sit, Levi looks expectantly at Eren, who looks like he might overheat with how flushed his face is.

"I'm sorry," Eren blurted, his shoulders hunched over. "Yesterday, I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want to ruin anything because you're such a wonderful friend and--"

"Eren," Levi interrupted, more curt than he intended to be. "Why are you here? Your partner might not be happy that you're seeing me today after he got you that nice bouquet."

Eren fell silent, a look of blatant confusion on his face as he processed was Levi said before realization lighting up his face. "Levi," he began, "that's not my partner. Reiner was my boyfriend a while ago, but he was trying to win me back for the holiday."

Levi stared at Eren dumbly, his lips parted as he tried to find words but couldn't.

"I told him no, Levi."

Eren wasn't already won over by someone else. Levi jumped to a conclusion and hurt Eren, the same Eren who held his hands in his own warm ones and looked at him with that stupid smile that lights up his world so beautifully.

"Levi, Hanji told me you were here earlier on your phone. They said they could see the missed notifications." Eren looked embarrassed at having outed Hanji and admitting he took the bait to see Levi. "But I want to spend Christmas with you," Eren said, pausing as he reached into the pocket of his coat that was over the back of a chair, pulling out a wrapped square gift, "if you'll have me."

Levi tore off the wrapping paper, revealing his gift: a small, elegant black frame, inside of it housing a photo of Levi sleeping on his sofa, the focus of the photo being Snowball even though she was curled into a sleeping bundle on Levi's sternum, and in the bottom of the photo Levi recognized Eren's Christmas colored socks. On the back of the frame, there was silver marker in surprisingly neat handwriting: _Merry Christmas and happy birthday, Levi. With love, Eren._

"It's perfect," Levi murmured, his heart fluttering in his chest. He raised his head only to be met with warmth, all the warmth that was Eren: his lips were warmer than his hands, though they were dry from the cold air outside. Eren's hands gently cradled Levi's face, and Levi never wanted to leave that warmth. He wanted all of Eren. "Spend Christmas with me," he asked in a hushed voice, his fingers weaving through Eren's soft hair.

Eren didn't verbally respond, instead pulling Levi into another kiss while his friends smiled from across the room. They were happy; it didn't seem like Levi would be spending the holidays alone anymore, between the kitten that won his heart and Eren, who seems to have done the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who wants to know, Levi's present to Eren that night was a coffee mug shaped like a cat, and inside the mug were mittens that are meant to look like paws. Kisses and cuddles ensued.
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


End file.
